When Lilly Zsolnay went to work at Stir Fire Grill Sunday, she didn’t know it would be her last day.

Stir Fire, 1729 Benson Ave., closed unexpectedly Monday, according to two former employees. The employees said they were not informed ahead of time that the restaurant would close.

“I had noticed we were running out of things lately, such as carmel cheesecake and root beer,” Zsolnay said. “I guess it would make sense that the manager wouldn’t reorder if he was planning to close up shop.”

A manager could not be reached for comment Wednesday to confirm reasons for the restaurant’s closure.

Troy Thiel, director of the Evanston Small Business Association, said he was not sure why Stir Fire closed, but said it is common for businesses to do so without telling employees.

“Employers don’t tell their help because they’re afraid they’ll quit or look for other jobs,” Thiel said. “Then businesses could be short-handed during their last few months. The whole thing is a cruel Catch-22.”

Zsolnay said she has worked at Stir Fire since August and has not noticed any business problems that could have led to the restaurant’s closing.

She said employees thought the restaurant would do well when the Church Street Plaza opens and pushes the center of town further west — more toward Stir Fire’s location.

“I’m really sad that it closed,” Zsolnay said. “Stir Fire had really great food and really great people to work with.”